Kiwi Ears Airoso IEMs review – Yummy aural goodness

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REVIEW – I listen to every day, all day, as I work from home. When I’m out working in the yard, I want to carry my music with me, as I’m sure most of you do too. The problem I have is that I hate wireless earbuds. Most of the time, you pay more for their convenience than for the sound quality you get. My next gripe is they’re constantly working their way out of my ears, losing the seal, then ultimately falling out. Finally, I hate touch controls. I always end up tapping too many times or not enough because I hit the wrong spot, or my hands are just dirty enough to cause problems. This is why I prefer a nice pair of wired IEMs. I just plug them in and control everything else with my phone. In my opinion, you can get better sound for less money. I had another set of IEMs I reviewed that I really like but because of life, I no longer have them. That’s why I wanted to try the Kiwi Ears Airoso IEMs. They’re priced more affordably, they looked good on paper or screen, but how do they sound? Read on to find out.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Kiwi Ears and Amazon

What is it?

The Kiwi Ears Airoso is a set of IEMs (in ear monitors) with precision crossover technology, custom dynamic driver design, four balanced armature drivers, premium build, and a detachable, upgradeable cable.

What’s included?

• Kiwi Ears Airoso
• 3 sets of earbud tips
• Case
• User manual

Tech specs

• Impedance 18Ω
• Sensitivity 110 dB SPL/mW
• Frequency Response 20Hz – 20kHz
• Cable Length 1.2m (detachable)
• Connector Type 3.5mm TRS
• Weight 12g (each earbud)

Design and features

So, what makes the Kiwi Ears special? I’m glad you asked. Kiwi Ears uses a custom dynamic driver with an LCP + PU diaphragm. What the heck does that mean? From what I could find, LCP and PU are the materials used to make the diaphragm. These materials give it a strong elasticity and give it an accurate high-frequency vibration and transient response. Huh? Basically, it means the materials make the Airoso sound great with a wide sound range and richer detail. The Airoso also includes 4 balanced armatures, 2 dedicated to the high frequencies and 2 to ultra-high. They’ve crammed all this into that svelte package to cover everything.

Speaking of the svelte package, Kiwi Ears gave the Airoso a premium build to house all that as well. They CNC’ed an aluminum alloy and titanium for the faceplate. The shell itself is a 3D printed resin. All of that equates to a lightweight, good looking set of IEMs.

Kiwi Ears also gives you convenience and longevity in the Airoso as well. They come with 3 sets of earbud tips and an upgradeable and/or replaceable cable. Some audiophiles swear that an expensive cable affects the sound. I can’t speak to the quality of the cable that’s included. All I know is that it works fine. It has 2-pin connectors for the IEMs themselves, so if the cable breaks or you wanted to upgrade, you have that ability.

Performance

Ok, enough with all that. How do the Kiwi Ears Airoso in ear monitors sound when you’ve got them shoved in your ear holes? The short answer is fantastic. I found my music to be very well-rounded while using it. Firstly, the sound stage is large enough so that I felt like I had shoved my head into the center of a concert. There’s great separation of the instruments and fantastic response for vocals. Nothing was too boomy. The bass is punchy enough without being overbearing, mids are clear, and the highs are sharp and crisp. On top of that, I was able to get and maintain a good seal with them. That’s a feat in and of itself for me. I’ve had the hardest time with other earbuds or IEMs getting a good fit for my right ear. For whatever reason, the Kiwi Ears Airoso stayed put and made me a happy man. I will add, though, that your music source makes a big difference, which I’m sure you already know. When using the Airoso with my laptop, everything sounded weak. My phone, however, made them come alive, even though I had to use a USB-C to 1/8″ adapter.

Final thoughts

I’m extremely happy with the Kiwi Ears Airoso IEMs. I must admit, I don’t consider myself an audiophile, just a big music fan. I’d love to try them out with one of those uber expensive Hi-Fi players to see how much of a difference there is. Either way, I will be keeping them with me for my outdoor activities and any business trips. Nice job, Kiwi Ears. You’ve got a fan in me.

What I like about Kiwi Ears Airoso IEMs

• The sound!
• The build!
• Even the price!

What needs to be improved?

• Nothing in my opinion

Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Kiwi Ears and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Kiwi Ears. Kiwi Ears did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.

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